Updated Covid-19 Policy

Dear School Community,

As announced at yesterday's general meeting, the Covid-19 Response Team has decided to adjust the Covid-19 policy beginning June 1, 2022.

The trend of decreasing infection rates, contact tracing showing that in the vast majority of cases (188 out of 190 this school year) infection occurs outside of school, and the goal of keeping our students in in-person classroom and among their classmates as long as possible for social-emotional and educational considerations have led to this decision.

We owe this low rate of infection at the school to our multi-faceted Covid-19 measures. As a result, the Covid-19 Response Team has chosen to maintain these protective measures that have been so successful to date. So we remain in Phase 1 of relaxing our Covid orders.

The guideline includes the following measures:

  • Mask requirement - continues to apply as described in Phase 1:
    • Maintain current mask requirement* indoors.
    • Continuation of current mandatory masks* on buses.
    • Masks outdoors:
      • NEW: Preschool: as of June 1, 2022 on a voluntary basis.
      • SES through grade 12: on a voluntary basis.
    • Contact tracing within the school community
    • 2x times PCR test/week.

* current mask mandate: Preschool: best-fitting mask, Elementary School: surgical or KN95 mask, Grades 5 through 12: KN95 mask

 

Regarding quarantine, there are still 2 separate regulations:

Student was exposed AT SCHOOL:

Student was exposed AT HOME:

 

Only the student who tested positive and his or her siblings go into quarantine. All other classmates, vaccinated or unvaccinated, remain in class and participate in the above measures. If a contact person develops symptoms, please quarantine.

Since there is closer contact at home, we are keeping our previous quarantine rule. That is, as long as someone tests positive at home, those who previously tested negative from the same household must remain in quarantine.

Further information can be found on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html

The Covid-19 Response Team would like to note that the adjusted policy deviates from some Montgomery County and CDC recommendations. The Covid-19 Response Team medical advisors do not support the deviation from CDC, Montgomery County. The Covid-19 Response Team is aware of the risk and reserves the right to discontinue the adjusted policy at any time depending on the development of cases in the school community.

In general, please all continue to watch for symptoms in your children and test at home with a self-test if necessary. If a student was ill with Covid-like symptoms and missed school as a result, please come to the Nurse’s Station before returning to class at 7:45 am to have an antigen test done. If you have any questions about this new policy, please contact covid19response@giswashington.org.

Sincerely

Covid-19 Response Team

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